1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention generally relates to a three-dimensional (3D) image providing method, a 3D image converting method, and a graphical user interface (GUI) providing method, and a 3D display apparatus and a 3D providing system using the same. More specifically, the aspects of the present invention relates to a 3D image providing method for representing a 3D image by alternately displaying a left-eye image and a right-eye image on a screen, a 3D converting method, a GUI providing method, and a 3D display apparatus and a 3D image providing system using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Three-dimensional (3D) stereoscopy is applied in various fields such as information communication, broadcasting, medical care, educational training, military, game, animation, virtual space, CAD, and industrial technology, and is the core technology of next-generation 3D stereoscopic multimedia information communications, which is commonly required in the various fields.
In general, a human perceives relative depths using thickness variation of lenses based on a location of an object to perceive, an angle difference between both eyes and the object, location and shape differences of the object perceived by two eyes, a time difference according to movement of the object, psychology, effect from memories, etc.
Among them, binocular disparity resulting from the horizontal separation about 6˜7 cm between two eyes of the human, is an important factor in stereopsis. The human perceives the object with the angle difference because of the binocular disparity, the two retinal images have different images, and these two images are input to the brain through the retinas. The brain can extract the original 3D stereoscopic vision by actually uniting the two pieces of information.
Stereoscopic display apparatuses are categorized into a glass type using special glasses and a non-glass type without using special glasses. The glass type includes a color filter scheme which separates and selects the image using complementary color filters, a polarized glass scheme which separates left-eye and right-eye images by restricting the light using combination of orthogonal polarizing elements, and a shutter glass scheme which creates the illusion of the 3D image by alternately darkening over the left eye and the right eye in correspondence with a synchronization signal projecting the left-eye image signal and the right-eye image signal on the screen.
The shutter glass scheme, which displays the image using the disparity of two eyes, perceives the relative depths of the image perceived at the different angles in the brain by synchronizing the image presentation of the display apparatus and the on/off state of the left-eye and right-eye lenses of the glasses.
Meanwhile, to view the 3D image, a user needs to change the display apparatus into a 3D mode. Mostly, depending on whether the image input to the 3D display apparatus is a 2D image or a 3D image, the 3D mode is entered through different manipulation.
However, it may be hard for the user to determine whether the current input image is the 2D image or the 3D image. That is, it may be hard for the user to classify the type of the current input image.
Users may prefer to use the 3D mode more easily without having to recognize whether the input image is the 2D image or the 3D image. For doing so, a method is needed for the user to view the 3D image on the display apparatus far more easily.